At an inquest into the teacher’s death on Tuesday, Dr. Rob Torock said, “It’s unclear whether her subsequent death could have been avoided. I’m very regretful; an opportunity was missed and it’s a shame. That is tragic but I don’t think it’s fair to criticize. I think there are going to remain some questions we continue to answer.”

Dr. Han Cao from Dorset County Hospital said he had suggested that the patient stay in the hospital overnight so that she could be examined, but she refused because she “didn’t like the experience.”

“I initially offered a hospital stay, then maybe a smaller ward, then the possibility of a smaller unit and when I said: ‘What about a home visit?’ she said that was even worse.”

“She was then sent home with antibiotics for her infection,” he told the inquest.

Following Beverley’s death, the South Western Ambulance Service was forced to invest in extra-large equipment across the trust.

A quarter of adults in the UK are classed as obese, the second highest rate in Europe.

It emerged in October that rising obesity levels have forced health bosses to spend £7 million to adapt hospitals and buy specialist equipment to handle larger patients.